Grind, mix, stuff OR grind into casing directly?

[sandyut]

Hey all,

I made DeeJays Hot Brats this weekend and they were pretty tasty.  But couple questions.

I used the kitchener to grind, then mixed the spices, and then stuffed using the kidney been head and casing tube.  Over all this worked.  But getting the ground meat into the grinder was more challenging than anticipated and seemed to "over mash" the meat.  It lost some of the chuckiness was was shooting for.

Seems like a vertical stuffer would be much much easier and "mash up" the meat less thus keeping it more chunky.

Curious, do you cube the meat spice and grind right into the casing all in one step?

OR

Grind, spice, mix, and use a stuffer.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[daveomak]

Curious, do you cube the meat spice and grind right into the casing all in one step?

That's best if you do not have a dedicated stuffer....  With a dedicated stuffer, you can definitely improve the quality of the sausage...  You can grind the fat using the fine plate. the add meat using different grinds for texture...

 

[dward51]

Like Dave said....  

Either way will work, but let the sausage sit overnight in the fridge for all the spice flavors to meld with the meat (by either way, I mean with a dedicated stuffer or grinding and stuffing with the mixer attachment).  Also if you have a recipe that calls for a double grind, here is a tip to make the ground meat more manageable on the 2nd grind.  Make it into ground meat ropes a little smaller than the diameter of the feed tube on your grinder.  Then lay them on a flat sheet pan and pop them in the freezer for a while.  Does not have to be frozen hard, but enough to hold together as a rope while you feed it down the grinder tube.  Should act like a long strip of solid meat this way.

But you are right about over grinding affecting the texture of the finished product.  It can start to emulsify the meat and cause the fat to smear into the entire product changing the mouth feel.

 

[sandyut]

I have enjoyed the grinder and the products coming out of it a lot!  Very impressed with the first tries and all the support and help (thanks again Dave!).

I got the Kitchener for $95 delivered and that is a cheap date!  I will be buying a stuffer for the next sausage go round. If I get impatient, I can always make due!  there is still allot to learn.

Its amazing what you can make by grinding your own burgers sausage or what ever.  I used to get bummed when the grocery didn't have what I wanted ground...no more of that!

Thanks to the Dave's for the tips!!

Happy grinding and sausage making.

 

[SmokinAl]

Sounds like your on your way to being a pro sausage maker!

A dedicated grinder & dedicated stuffer really make things easy.

Al

 

[gearjammer]

These guys got headed right.

Saw your picture up there, good lookin' dog.

           Ed

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I'll second everything said. I'd avoid LEM though for a stuffer option.

I grind all of our burger, whether it's beef, pork, lamb, turkey or chicken. It's really nice being able to control the amount of fat. It's also nice knowing what exactly what you're getting.

 

[dward51]

You can pick up a Northern Tool 5lb stainless steel stuffer for $79 if you also order a pack of screws or something to get the price over $100 and use the $20 off discount code of 247197 (current price is $99.99 and the code is for $20 off a $100 order).   This is the stuffer I've been using for several years.  Yes it has the nylon gears, but pay attention and don't bottom out the plunger and keep cranking and it's not an issue.  I mark my screw with a sharpie so I know how close to bottoming out the plunger I am so I can stop just in time.  It's a very good entry level stuffer that will last for years (and if you do break a gear, they can be replaced).

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200449319_200449319